Structural device



Aug. 3, 1965 J. A. FORD STRUCTURAL DEVICE Original Filed Dec. 18, 1961 INVENTOR. JAMES A. F

United States Patent 3,198,243 STRUTURAL DEVECE James A. Ford, Stnrgis, Mich, assignor to Kirsch Conn pan Sturgis, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Original application Dec. 18, 1% Ser. No. 159,851, new Patent No. 3,151,566, dated Oct. 6, 19 54. Divided and this application duly 15, 1964, Ser. No. 382,847 5 Claims. (til. 166-347) This application is a division of application Serial No. 159,851 filed December 18, 1961 and now Patent No. 3,151,666.

This invention relates to traverse means for supporting a flexible, downwardly extending panel and particularly to such means adapted for enabling said panel to move sidewardly from one position to another.

Inasmuch as the present invention arose out of efiforts expended in the drapery hardware field, the invention will be described and illustrated in terms of a traversing device particulariy adapted to the support and sideward movement of draperies. However, it will be recognized that while the invention has many advantages which are particularly valuable in the drapery hardware field, in its broader aspects it is also well adapted for use in other fields and accordingly the use of drapery traversing hard were to illustrate the invention will be recognized as for illustrative purposes only and as not limiting.

In the approximately 35 years since the original introduction of the presently standard traverse rod, traverse rod constructions of this general type have been made in extremely large numbers and installed in a wide variety of homes, OffiCS and institutions and other generally similar places of use.

However, during all of this time that said presently standard traverse rod has been made, sold and used, there have been numerous disadvantages experienced with it which disadvantages have been recognized but which have been tolerated as unavoidable without exceeding feasible cost limits.

Prominent among these disadvantages has been the placement of the panel supporting slides in a position on the rear side of the traverse rod, said rear positioning being made necessary by appearance considerations, namely, that the placement of the hanger supporting slot on the front side of the rod would present an unattractive and totally unacceptable appearance. This placement of the hangers on the rear side of the rod has thus necessitated the forward tilting of the upper edge of the drapery to enable it to extend upwardly above the forward side of the rod as has been frequently desired for appearance purposes. This forward tilting of the upper edge of the drapery has in itself provided an undesirable appearance and, in an attempt to minimize such forward tilting, hangers have sometimes been used which extend forwardly from their point of support at the rearward side of the rod. This forward extension of the hangers has tended to twist said hangers in their supporting slot causing them to bind therein and has often required substantial force to overcome. This at best has rendered the traversing of the draperies somewhat diflicult and has often been subject in many cases to a rather stringent limitation upon the width of the drapery which could be operated as a single unit.

To meet this problem, some attempts have been made to place the hanger supporting slot on the underside of the traverse rod but this has in the past been undesirable inasmuch as the traverse cords then lie directly above the hangers, often droop down between the hangers and frequently tangle therewith and jam the operation of the traverse assembly. Hence the placement of the hangers on the underside of the traverse rod has in the past been considered unacceptable and as a source of more troubles than it cures.

A further problem with conventional traverse rod constructions has arisen where it has been desired to extend the window to a point very close to the ceiling of a room. Presently common traverse rod constructions have required a minimum clearance between the upper edge of the window and the ceiling (unless the traverse rod is to be exposed through the window which is undesirable) a distance at least equal to the distance from the upper edge of the traverse rod to the lower edge of the hanger sup porting slot, plus the vertical extent of the hangers below said lower edge. While this distance is not normally very great, it nevertheless cannot be ignored and has provided a definite limit to the minimizing of wall space between the upper edge of the window and the ceiling of a room. Accordingly, a construction has long been desirable which would still further dimiinsh this minimum required space but which would do so without detracting from the appearance of the finished assembly.

A further problem has been that known as pack-back, which means the space occupied by the drapery when in its full open position. Since the cord-carrying pulleys in conventional constructions are normally at the ends of the traverse rod, the distance to which the draperies can slide when in their full open position is limited. by the presence of the pulleys and/ or the pulley housings. The construction of the present invention permits the drapery to be pushed past the pulley structures so that the limit to which the draperies can be opened is increased by the width of the pulley structures. This last consideration is particularly important where it is desired to have windows of maximum width with respect to the walls of the room.

A further problem arises with an extremely wide Window, if it is desired to eliminate the pack-back space limitation altogether by causing the drapery to turn a corner at opposite ends and lie against the wall adjacent the opposite ends of the window. With conventional traverse rod structure, since it is necessary that the pulleys governing the operation of the cords are placed at the extreme outer ends of the traverse rods, such a construction with conventional traverse rod designs required that the cords turn the corner also and this provided various complications well known to the trade. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a design by which the drapery can be caused to turn such a corner without the necessity of the cords similarly turning the corner. i

With these and other problems inherent to previously known traverse rod designs in mind, the objects of the invention are:

(1) To provide a traverse rod construction for supporting a sidewardly movable, depending, flexible panel under conditions requiring minimum effort to effect a traversing movement.

(2) To provide a traverse rod construction, as aforesaid, providing separate channels for the travel of the flexible panel and for housing the operating cords, master slides and pulleys whereby the flexible panel is enabled (19 to move on past the pulleys at the end of the cord channels.

(3) To provide a traverse rod assembly, as aforesaid, minimizing the pack-back distance required at the ends of said traverse rods.

(4) To provide a traverse rod construction, as aforesaid, minimizing the spacing required from the ceiling of a room to the lower edge of the hanger-supporting means.

(5) To provide apparatus, as aforesaid, in which the drapery-supporting rails can be extended on past the ends of the cord-supporting and guiding channels whereby the draperies may be caused to turn a corner at a point beyond the cord-supporting pulleys without requiring said cords to follow such turn.

(6) To provide a traverse rod assembly which may be mounted either on the ceiling at the point of use or from a wall as desired.

(7) To provide a traverse rod assembly, as aforesaid, which, whether mounted on the ceiling or on the side wall will permit the upper edge of the drapery to extend into close proximity with the ceiling.

(8) To provide a traverse rod construction, as aforesaid, wherein the traverse rod can be made either by extrusion methods or by rolling methods according to the specific usage required and/or material used.

(9) To provide traverse rod construction, as aforesaid, wherein one portion of the traverse rod construction can be an extruded fabrication and the other portion can be of roll formed fabrication, whereby the completely assembled unit may enjoy the strength of an extruded shape while obtaining for at least a portion thereof the inexpensiveness of a roll formed structure.

(10) To provide traverse rod construction, as aforesaid, wherein the hanger-carrying track and the cordguiding means are capable of being made in two separate units whereby to obtain greater flexibility of materials, design, inventory, and fabrication than is now possible with presently conventional apparatus.

(11) To provide a specific design within the scope of the objectives above listed having an extremely attractive appearance whereby the portion thereof which is exposed when the draperies are retracted will not be unsightly or otherwise harmful to the overall appearance of the window area.

(12) To provide traverse rod construction, as aforesaid, which is highly flexible, applicable in a variety of specific designs and arrangements and for meeting a variety of different specific uses all without serious, if any, modification of the component parts.

(13) To provide traverse rod construction, as aforesaid, which will provide a product of high quality without material advance in cost over previously known traverse rod constructions.

(14) To provide a traverse rod construction which will be extremely simple and fool-proof in operation and thereby operable for a long period of time with a minimum of maintenance.

(15) To provide a traverse rod design, as aforesaid, which while primarily applicable to use with residential, office or institutional draperies is nevertheless readily adaptable to a wide variety of other generally similar uses, particularly for supporting a wide variety of other types of flexible or semiflexible or articulated panels.

Other objects and purposes of the invention will be apparent to persons acquainted with an apparatus of this general type upon a reading of the following description and inspection of the accompanying drawings.

General description In general the invention contemplates the use of dual channels, one channel providing track means along its lower edge for the panel-supporting carriers and the other channel providing support for the cord-carrying end pulleys together with a housing guiding and enclosing the panel-traversing cords. Preferably, the channels are provided by a single extruded member having a pair of openings therethrough, but said channels can in certain instances be provided by separate constructions which are subsequently fastened together to provide a single unit at the time and place of use.

Whichever channel construction is used, the hangersupporting channel has a slot at its lower edge and downwardly converging surfaces on either side of said slot for holding suitable carriers in self-centering relationship to said slot. The adjacent cord-guiding and enclosing channel preferably opens at the side, but it may open at the bottom, if desired, especially where the track structure is to be substantially recessed into a ceiling.

For convenience in description, the terms upper, lower and words of similar import will have reference to the traverse assembly of the invention in its normal position of operation, as appearing in FIGURE 1. The terms front and rear will have reference, respectively, to the right and left sides of the traverse assembly as appearing, for example, in FIGURE 1. The terms inner, outer and derivatives thereof will have reference to the geometric center of said traverse assembly and parts thereof.

FIGURE 1 is a cross-sectional view of a dual channel track member disclosing an embodiment of the invention.

FIGURE 2 is an end view of an alternate structure for a dual channel track member and carrier.

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view of the dual track member shown in FIGURE 2 including a pulley assembly associated therewith.

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken along the line IV-IV in FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view substantially as taken along the line VV in FIGURE 4 with the parts thereof in partially assembled positions.

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view taken along the line VI-VI in FIGURE 4.

The traverse assembly 171 (FIGURE 1) includes an elongated rigid track member 172 having wall means defining front and rear passageways 173 and 174, respectively, which extend lengthwise of the track member 172. Elongated slots 176 and 177 are provided through the bottom wall 178 and rear wall 179, respectively, of the track member 172 so that they communicate with the passageways 173 and 174, respectively.

A pair of coplanar flanges 181 and 182 are integral with, and extend sidewardly from, the front Wall 183 and rear wall 179, respectively, so that they are substantially parallel with and spaced downwardly from the top wall 184 of the track member 172. The flange 182 is preferably adjacent to the upper edge of the slot 177 and spaced from the top wall 184 a distance preferably no greater than the normal thickness of the plaster 186 on the supporting structure, as a ceiling 187. The track member 172 may be held in position with respect to the supporting structure 187 by screws 1.88 which extend through the beveled openings 189 in the top wall 184.

A plurality of carriers 191 may be supported upon the portions of the bottom wall 178 adjacent the slot 176 therein for movement lengthwise of the track member 172.

A cord 192 (FIGURE 1) is disposed within the passageway 174 for connection with a master carrier.

A modification (FIGURE 2) can be utilized where it is desired to recess the track into a ceiling even further than is possible with the form of FIGURE 1, the presence of the slot 177 providing in this latter case a limit to the extent of such recessing. Under some circumstances, the FIGURE 2 form sacrifices some of the advantages of the FIGURE 1 form but it maintains many of the advantages of the invention and does permit greater recessing than does the FIGURE 1 form. In the FIGURE 2 form, the track member 252 of the traverse assembly 251 is similar to the track member 172 in FIGURE 1,

except for the location of the slot through the rear wall I thereof. That is, the slots 253 and 254, which communicate with the passageways 256 and 257 in the track mem her 252, are both located in the lower wall 253 thereof. Carriers 259 are supported upon the portions of the lower wall 258 adjacent the slot 253 in substantially the same manner that the carriers 191 are supported within track member 172. The track 252 has a pair of sidewardly extending, coplanar flanges 261 and 262 which are arranged so that they will be flush with the surface of the plaster 263 on the ceiling structure 264. i

The pulley assembly 294 (FIGURES 3, 4, 5 and 6) is specially adapted for use with a track member of the type shown in FIGURE 2 at 252 which is recessed into the ceiling and has two downwardly opening slots 253 and 254. The pulley assembly 294 includes a pair of side plates 296 and 297 which are substantially parallel throughout their lengths. A pair of pulleys 298 and 299 (FIGURE 5) are rotatably supported by axles 301 and 302 upon and between the side plates 296 and 297. The side plates 296 and 297 have inner end portions 303 and 304 (FIGURE 5) which are oflset toward each other and which project above (FIGURE 4) the upper edges of said plates for insertion through the slot 254- (FIGURE 4) iuto the passageway 257 when said upper edges of said side plates 296 and 297 are parallel with and bearing against the lower wall 258 of said track member on opposite sides of the slot 254. The upper ends of the portions 303 and 304 (FIGURE 5) are bent away from each other to form the flanges 306 and 307, respectively, which overlie the edges of the wall 258 adjacent the slot 254 within the passageway 257.

The outer ends of the side plates 296 and 297 (FIG- URE 6) have near their upper edges, a pair of integral flanges 308 and 309 which extend toward each other in adjacent overlapping relationship. The flanges 308 and 309 have aligned openings 311 and 312 through which a screw 313 is received for threaded engagement with a bar 314. Said bar 314 can be turned one way to enter through the slot 254 within the passageway 257 and can.

then be turned crosswise (FIGURE 6) to straddle the slot 254, whereby the outer end of the pulley assembly 294 is rigidly secured with respect to the track member 252 directly beneath the passageway 257.

The front side plate 296 of the pulley assembly 294 has an integral, L-shaped finger 316 struck out frontwardly therefrom so that it is disposed directly below and adjacent the slot 253 in the track member 252 to prevent accidental disengagement of the carriers 260 from within the track member 252.

The pulley assembly 294 is mounted upon the track member 252 by positioning same transversely thereof so that the flanges 306 and 307 on the end portions 303 and 304, respectively, can be inserted through the slot 254, as shown in FIGURE 5. The pulley assembly 294 is then pivoted 90 degrees in either direction from its FIG- URE 5 position around said portions 303 and 304 so that it is aligned with and adjacent to the slot 254, as shown in FIGURES 3, 4 and 6. The flanges 306 and 307 thus slide over the adjacent portions of the lower wall 258 on opposite sides of the slot 254 and thereby hold the inner end of the pulley assembly 294 in position. By means of the screw 313 and the bar 314, the outer end of the pulley assembly 294 is held in position, as discussed above. The pulleys 298 and 299 project upwardly through the slot 254 into the passageway 257 for engaging the cord 269 therein.

Although preferred embodiments of the invention have been disclosed herein for illustative purposes, it will be understood that variations or modifications of such disclosure, which come within the scope of the appended claims, are fully contemplated.

What is claimed is:

1. In a traverse assembly for supporting substantially upright panels, said traverse assembly including an elon- 6 gated flexible element connectible to said panels for effecting movement thereof, the combination comprising:

an elongated, rigid track structure having wall means forming a pair of elongated and parallel channels defining passageways disposed in side-lby-side relation, one of said channels opening downwardly;

means on said one channel defining spaced rail means extending toward each other from the opposite edges of the open side of said one channel;

a narrow, elongated pulley casing having a pair of substantially parallel side walls;

a pair of upwardly and sidewardly extending, support flanges rigidly and respectively secured to said side walls adjacent corresponding ends of each, said flanges each having a dimension substantially lengthwise of the casing less than the distance between said rail means so that said flanges are insertable into said one channel between said rail means when said casing extends transversely thereof, the distance between the opposite ends of the flanges transverse of the casing being materially greater than the distance between said rail means, whereby said flanges are supported upon said rail means when said casing is in a pe sition substantially parallel with and below said one channel;

connecting means mounted upon said casing adjacent the other end thereof for clamping said casing against the rail means; and

a pulley rotatably supported upon and. between said side walls, said pulley projecting between said rail means into said one channel for engagement with the elongated element.

2. A pulley assembly for a traverse structure having a pair of spaced and substantially parallel walls, comprising:

a pair of spaced and substantially coplanar flanges secured to the walls near corresponding edges thereof and extending toward each other to define a slot;

a pair of substantially flat and parallel side plates;

a pulley wheel and axle means extending between and mounted upon said side plates for rotatably supporting said pulley wheel therebetween;

a hook element on each of said side plates at corresponding points thereon, said hook elements extending first substantially parallel with said side plates and then sidewardly in substantially opposite directions, each hook element having a dimension substantially parallel with said side plates less than the width of said slot so that said hook elements can be inserted through said slot when said side plates are transverse thereof, the distance between the opposite ends of said hook elements transverse of said side plates being greater than the Width of said slot, whereby said hook elements are supported upon said flanges when said side plates are substantially parallel with said walls and adjacent said flanges; and

clamping means on said side plates spaced from said hook elements, said clamping means being releasably engaged with said flanges for holding said pulley assembly against movement with respect to said flanges.

3. A pulley assembly according to claim 2 wherein a plurality of pulley wheels are supported upon axle means extending between and mounted upon said side plates substantially in radial alignment with each other;

wherein said walls adjacent said hook elements are normally spaced from each other a distance slightly greater than the width of said slot so that portions of said hook elements are pressed against opposing edges of said flanges when said hook elements extend upwardly through said slot and said side plates are substantially parallel with said walls.

4. A pulley assembly according to claim 2 wherein said clamping means comprises a pair of tabs, one tab extending sidewardly from each side plate towards the 7 l 8 other side plate in adjacent overlapping relationship, said said slot and said clamping means is tightly engaged with tabs having vertically aligned openings therein; and Said flangesscrew means extending through said aligned openings References Cited by the Examiner and engageable with said flanges for clamplng said tabs tightly against said flanges. 6 UNITED STATES PATENTS 5. A pulley assembly according to claim 2 wherein the 2,486,224 10/ 49 Stutz 160--345 edges of said side plates adjacent said flanges bear sub- 2,747,218 5/ 56 MCMulTaY 160-345 X stantially throughout their length, tightly and respectively 2,863,505 12/58 Cameron against the lower surfaces of said flanges when said 2,889,573 6/59 Bell et hook elements are supported upon said flanges Within 10 HARRISON MOSELEY, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A TRAVERSE ASSEMBLY FOR SUPPORTING SUBSTANTIALLY UPRIGHT PANELS, SAID TRAVERSE ASSEMBLY INCLUDING AN ELONGATED FLEXIBLE ELEMENT CONNECTIBLE TO SAID PANELS FOR EFFECING MOVEMENT THEREOF, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING: AN ELONGATED, RIGID TRACK STRUCTURE HAVING WALL MEANS FORMING A PAIR OF ELONGATED AND PARALLEL CHANNELS DEFINING PASSAGEWAYS DISPOSED IN SIDE-BY-SIDE RELATION, ONE OF SAID CHANNELS OPENING DOWNWARDLY; MEANS ON SAID ONE CHANNEL DEFINING SPACED RAIL MEANS EXTENDING TOWARD EACH OTHER FROM THE OPPOSITE EDGES OF THE OPEN SIDE OF SAID ONE CHANNEL; A NARROW, ELONGATED PULLEY CASING HAVING A PAIR OF SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL SIDE WALLS; A PAIR OF UPWARDLY AND SIDEWARDLY EXTENDING, SUPPORT FLANGES RIGIDLY AND RESPECTIVELY SECURED TO SAID SIDE WALLS ADJACENT CORRESPONDING ENDS OF EACH, SAID FLANGES EACH HAVING A DIMENSION SUBSTANTIALLY LENGTHWISE OF THE CASING LESS THAN THE DISTANCE BETWEEN SAID RAIL MEANS SO THAT SAID FLANGES ARE INSERTABLE INTO SAID ONE CHANNEL BETWEEN SAID RAIL MEANS WHEN SAID CASING EXTENDS TRANSVERSELY THEREOF, THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE OPPOSITE ENDS OF THE FLANGES TRANSVERSE OF THE CASING BEING MATERIALLY GREATER THAN THE DISTANCE BETWEEN SAID RAIL MEANS, WHEREBY SAID FLANGES ARE SUPPORTED UPON SAID RAIL MEANS WHEN SAID CASING IS IN A POSITION SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL WITH AND BELOW SAID ONE CHANNEL; CONNECTING MEANS MOUNTED UPON SAID CASING ADJACENT THE OTHER END THEREOF FOR CLAMPING SAID CASING AGAINST THE RAIL MEANS; AND A PULLEY ROTATABLE SUPPORTED UPON AND BETWEEN SAID SIDE WALLS, SAID PULLEY PROJECTING BETWEEN SAID RAIL MEANS INTO SAID ONE CHANNEL FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH THE ELONGATED ELEMENT. 